made it to moz!

Got into Maputo yesterday! The 15 hour plane ride wasn't too uncomfortable...I've had the flu so I took some Nyquil and knocked out for about 13 hours of the flight :) Finally saw the Hangover too. Pretty hilarious, except for I feel like a lone wolf who has lost her wolf pack.

We leave tomorrow for our homestay in cold, muddy southwest Mozambique. On the map my house is a "stone's throw" from Swaziland and right next door to a church. In our emergency phrasebook provided by Peace Corps, I feel one of the most important phrases given was "Nao quero ir a igreja" or "I don't want to go to church." Especially after 6 days of training from 7am to 5pm. Plus homework. I feel like I'm back in school again, especially with the 10 weeks of training almost exactly mirroring the UC schedule...a little weird but strangely comforting.

I'll be buying a cell phone next Saturday, around the 10th so I'll be posting up a phone number you can text (if the rates aren't too crazy) or can call using skype!! I'll have way more interesting stuff to talk about at that point too and I'm pretty sure something hilarious will have happened to me by then, so be prepared.

Today we were introduced to the HIV/AIDS Project and I'm sooo excited for the work! This year they've refocused to do more cross-cutting work, integrating HIV/AIDS education and awareness into all aspects of life: education, economics, etc. so we'll be able to have numerous partners and help as many people in the community with ideas as we can responsibly take on. I'm extremely excited and know that the work will get me through the tough times here.

We'll be getting our site placements on Thanksgiving so I'll know in Nov where I'll be for the next 2 years!!!

Until next time, much love...

**Correction! New address:

Donna Bean, PCT

Corpo da Paz

Avenida do Zimbabwe #345

Maputo, Mozambique

last day in the states

The day has finally arrived. Tomorrow will be my last day in the United States until...well I'm not exactly sure.

I had an amazing farewell from family and friends--thank you so much to everyone who came to dinner and made it out to spend some time with me before I left. It didn't hit me until I was on the plane, however, that I really wasn't sure when I would ever see all of your beautiful faces again.

This morning we managed to fit in some sightseeing--the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin's grave--and ate the traditional Philly Cheesesteak for lunch. Staging went well and I feel completely cared for and supported by the Peace Corps as an organization. As for my fellow trainees, I have definitely met some amazing people already and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in our time in Mozambique.

I'd like to thank everyone for all of your kind words and endless support. The letters, the spoken words, the cards, the fb messages, have all made me smile and tear up. Thank you to everyone for believing in me. I am honestly very blessed to have this opportunity to serve others and to gain a better understanding of other peoples. And this is just part of my continuing efforts to mitigate the many devastating effects stemming from the economic inequalities which have manifested themselves in the regions of the world oppressed by colonial and neocolonial institutions.

For my first 10 weeks I will be training just outside of Maputo, Mozambique before swearing in as a volunteer in December and being sent to my site for the next two years. My August post has the address to reach me during this time, so you can send letters, etc. to the PO Box listed there. If you are ever sending packages, apparently writing "Jesus Saves" or "Irma" before my name will guilt people into not stealing anything that you send. So Tapatio should be okay :)

Hope to write again soon!!

Love you all and take care.

8 days a week...

...is not enough to show I care.

The final countdown has begun. The days have quite literally flown by and it seems like only yesterday that the Peace Corps called me and asked if I wouldn't mind serving in a Portuguese-speaking country. 

Last weekend, fellow PC Mozambique volunteer Greg was in San Diego! We met randomly at a conference in Washington, D.C. in one of the breakout groups for student government members (turns out he was a student body president too) and, surprisingly, kept in touch because we had both applied for the Peace Corps and were due to leave this summer. Turns out we were both given the same assignment and country! Community Health Promoter in Mozambique. The world is eerily small sometimes. But it was a great weekend and thanks to Greg, I'm feeling calmer about heading into the unknown, since now it doesn't seem like so much of a blind leap into a world of absolute strangers. 

I'm going to be in San Diego until Wednesday the 23rd, at which point I'll be leaving for home and won't be back until Sunday the 27th, the day before I leave for the great adventure. San Diego really is a beautiful city and I look forward to coming back someday, but until then, I'll live up the last few days of perfect weather :)

so it's official

Details of my travel plans are in! My crackberry (which I'm looking to sell because let's just face it, it's not practical) notified me that I had received an email--my staging information from Peace Corps!

"Staging" is basically a one day orientation where you meet all the other country volunteers (there's about 60 of us for Moz14), get last minute shots, and sign life insurance papers. Uplifting. My staging is taking place September 29th in Philadelphia! And since I'm "west of St. Louis", as the travel agent put it, I have to fly in the night before, giving me a few hours to sightsee before orienting. Apparently, I was also the first person to call in about tickets for Mozambique. Always one step ahead. Thanks, crackberry.

Here is my international itinerary. 16 hours-ish. :)

30 SEP 09  -  WEDNESDAY  

          NEW YORK JFK-JOHANNESBURG : 15HR 10MIN 

 01 OCT 09  -  THURSDAY 

          JOHANNESBURG -MAPUTO : 01HR 05MIN 

      

This means that my last day in SD is officially September 27th because I am out of here noon the next day. If you want to see my face one more time before the motherland takes it, call me!

one month left...

Hello Everyone!

This date marks the approximate "one month left" point for my time here in the United States. So I started this blog, now,  mainly for 2 reasons: one, family/friend requests and two, I still have reliable internet access. 

My assignment: Community Health Promoter for the Health & HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Project in Mozambique. My Peace Corps packet states that as a Health Volunteer, I will be placed to work with a non-governmental, community-based, or faith-based organization and will be assisting them in improving their HIV/AIDS prevention and care projects and programs. 

According to UNAIDS, at the end of 2007 HIV prevalence in Mozambique was estimated to be around 12.5%, though I've heard higher numbers. There is a geographical discrepancy, as 9% of these cases are in the northern part of the country whereas 21% are located in the southern region. And, HIV, for numerous reasons (which I can elaborate on further if you ask) disproportionately affects women. UNAIDS/WHO estimates for 2007 show that "HIV prevalence among young women [is] at 8.5% compared to 2.9% among young men." 

The government of Mozambique in the post-war period has focused the Peace Corps into work with the education and health sectors. I will be part of the 14th group of volunteers serving in Mozambique. And next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. 

Here is my address during my Pre-Service Training (10 weeks of intense, 6 days a week, technical, language, cultural, health, and safety training held a bit outside of Maputo in the South):

Donna Bean, PCT 
Peace Corps 
C.P. 4398 
Maputo, Mozambique

I currently have been provided about 5 different packing lists, so I'll be working on that throughout the coming weeks. I'm only allowed 80 pounds and 2 bags for the next 2 years, and I'm looking forward to the feeling of accomplishment when I make it happen. Haha. 

Boa noite.